


A Mother's Love.

by CristinaBlackthornKingson



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: Ableism, Ableist Language, Abuse, Abusive Parents, Abusive Relationships, Adopted Children, Adoption, Bad Parenting, Big Brothers, Bonding, Brother Feels, Brotherhood, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Child Abuse, Child Death, Child Neglect, Childhood, Childhood Trauma, Deaf Character, Depression, Domestic Violence, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Little Brothers, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Mother-Son Relationship, Motherhood, Multi, Origin Story, Other, Parent-Child Relationship, Past Abuse, Physical Abuse, Pre-Canon, Pregnancy, Protective Parents, Protectiveness, Sign Language, Suicide, Team Bonding, Two Fathers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:47:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29791437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CristinaBlackthornKingson/pseuds/CristinaBlackthornKingson
Summary: We know that Hearthstone's father was an abusive monster, but what about his mother, Great? We know so little about her. What if she accepted and love her son? What was Hearth's life like, before he ran away?This is Hearth's origin story, and the story of a woman who tried desperately to protect her son.
Relationships: Alderman & Hearthstone (Magnus Chase), Andiron & Heartstone (Magnus Chase), Blitzen & Hearthstone, Blitzen/Hearthstone, Hearthstone & Samirah Al-Abas, Magnus Chase & Hearthstone
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	A Mother's Love.

**Author's Note:**

> ***TW/CW****  
> Abuse.  
> Child abuse.  
> Child neglect.   
> Ableisim.  
> Abelist language.  
> Domestic violence.  
> Physical abuse.  
> Emotional and mental abuse.  
> Child death.   
> Parent death/loss.  
> Suicide.   
> Depression.

Hearthstone Alderman has lead a very tough life from a very young age, but it hasn’t always been that way. He may not remember it but the first few months of his life were a very happy time for The Aldermans. 

Hearthstone was born on a typical beautiful sunny day in Alfheim in 1997, to two very happy and thrilled parents. His mother adored him from before he was even born, and his father was proud and pleased to have a son.

Of course, this was before they found out that Hearth is deaf.

They thought nothing of it when they noticed that their son did not respond to their voices, did not respond to his name or was not soothed by being talked it, they simply passed it off as him being an easily distracted child.

However this all changed one day when Hearthstone was four months old.

A few hours ago Greta put her son down for a nap in his bassinet, in the living room, so she did not have to constantly go up and downstairs to check on him. Hearth was a wonderful sleeper so Greta knew she would have a few hours to herself without a baby attached to her. She took this opportunity to get a head start on lunch. Of course they had servants to do this sort of thing for them, but Great liked cooking and baking, she found it relaxing and entertaining. 

Half an hour into cooking, Great lifted a lid from a saucepan to check on the food, however she quickly lost her grip on the lid causing it clatter to the floor making a noise so loud it could have probably been heard all around the nine worlds. 

Greta cursed under her breath, knowing this likely woke Hearth up. Without bothering to pick the lid up, Great hurried into the living room to get to Hearth before he started crying.

However when Great hurried into the room and over to her son’s bassinet, not only did she not hear a sound, she also found Hearthstone still fast asleep, not a care in the worlds. 

This immediately raised Greta’s concern, any baby in any of the nine worlds would have been woken and/or startled by the noise of the lid clattering to the ground.

Greta quickly checked that Hearth was still breathing, a tiny bit of her afraid that something awful had happened. 

As she stood there thinking of reasons Hearth wouldn’t have been woken, she began to think about all the other odd things she had noticed about her son over the last few months, the not responding to their voices, his name, etc.

_‘Could he be.... no of course not, he’s likely just a heavy sleeper and easily distracted.’_ Greta thought to herself, not wanting to even finish that thought.

Still, she figured it would do no harm to bring him to a doctor for a check up, he was due his four month check up soon anyway, no harm in being a bit early.

Greta quickly got herself and Hearth ready to go out, and told the maid to let Mr. Alderman know where she and Hearth had gone, should he come back before they got home.

Half an hour later Greta found herself sitting in a brightly lit hospital exam room with Hearth asleep in her arms, and a doctor and a nurse standing across from her.

“Mrs. Alderman we have your son’s test results back, and though there is nothing seriously or life threateningly wrong, there is an... issue.” The doctor calmly said, sending Greta’s heart racing. 

Before Greta could answer or the doctor could continue, the curtain around the cubicle was ripped back, and in stormed Greta’s husband, his thin face red with anger. Greta couldn’t help but flinch at the familiar look of rage on her husband’s face, she knew he would not do anything in public, but she knew once they got home, that anger and rage would be taken out on her.

“Apologies for my tardiness, my wife seems to have forgotten to tell me there was an emergency, left a note with the maid.” Mr. Alderman said in a cool and calm tone, stepping up behind Greta and placing a heavy hand on her shoulder, squeezing just that little bit too tightly. Greta gritted her teeth and forced a smile.

“That is perfectly fine Mr. Alderman, no need for apologies. Before you arrived I was just telling Mrs. Alderman that though majority of Hearthstone’s tests are clear, there is one test that shows why he was not startled by such a loud noise.” The doctor calmly explained.

“And?” Mr. Alderman prompted. 

“Hearthstone did not pass his hearing test, his scores were some of the lowest we have ever seen. From these results and the other symptoms Mrs. Alderman told us about, it is quiet apparent that Hearthstone cannot hear, he is deaf.” The moment the doctor uttered those last 3 words, marked the beginning of a miserable life for Hearthstone. 

There was a tense silence in the room for a few moments, before Mr. Alderman spoke up. 

“Are you quiet sure?” He asked in an eerily calm tone. The doctor nodded. 

“Yes sir I am afraid so, we ran the test several times and each time Hearthstone failed, I am confident in my diagnoses.” The doctor responded. 

Greta was just about to speak up and ask how they could help Hearthstone, if there was anything they could do to help him hear, perhaps a sorcerer could help them? 

However before she could utter a word, she felt her husband grab her arm tightly and haul her up out of her chair and drag her out of the exam room and out of the hospital.

When they arrived back home Hearthstone was once again sound asleep, so Greta placed him in his bassinet for another nap, before going downstairs to face the inevitable. 

When she stepped into the drawing room she found her husband waiting for her, standing by the window with his hands folded behind his back.

“I always knew there was something strange about him.” Mr. Alderman quietly said, jerking his chin toward the stairs. 

“Oh he is not strange, just... different.” Greta quietly replied. Mr. Alderman glared at her. 

“This is your fault, you know.” He said. “You obviously did something wrong during your pregnancy, likely many things. If you had listened to me we would not be in this mess now. It was likely that pain relief you insisted on having when you were in labor, I told you to be strong and tough it out, for our son’s sake, but you had to be weak and cowardly and now it has cost us a normal child.” Alderman snapped. 

Greta was not surprised that her husband blamed her for this, she always got the blame for everything that went wrong, but he never credited her for anything that went right. 

“I doubt that very much, it was likely a genetic issue that happened_” Before Greta could finish her sentence, her head suddenly whipped to the side and her cheek had begun to sting and burn. Her husband had struck her across the face. It came as both a shock and no shock at all to Greta. Her husband would regularly hit her since the day they were married, though he stopped when she fell pregnant, and until that moment he had not laid a finger on her since she gave birth.

“I don’t recall giving you permission to speak.” Alderman hissed, as Greta's hand came up to cradle her burning cheek. 

“Sorry.” she meekly replied, all the fight gone out of her after the shock of being hit again. 

“I have half a mind to leave you and find another woman, one who will not give me a broken child, Nobody would blame me, and you would not stand a chance on your own, the child would be taken, put in some institution like he should be, and you would no doubt wined up a pathetic little maid. 

Remember that dear Greta, next time you think of stepping a foot out of line.” Alderman harshly told his wife, looking her up and down in distaste. He had been so sure she was the perfect bride, an obedient woman who would no doubt bare him a son, to pass his legacy on to. How wrong he was.

Greta kept her head down and said nothing, knowing this was the easiest way to avoid angering her husband any further.

“Get out of my sight! I cannot bare to look at you for a second longer!” Alderman declared a moment later. 

With a nod and tears in her eyes, Greta made her way upstairs, on shaky legs. 

When she arrived in her room she was not surprised to find Hearthstone still sound asleep in his bassinet, his little arms up by his head, his pacifier dangling from his mouth, and his chest rising and falling in perfect rhythm. 

Greta smiled and leaned down to stroke her son’s platinum blonde hair, imagining what his sweet and innocent little soul was dreaming of. 

“I do not care that you’re deaf.” Greta quietly told her sleeping son. “I wish you were not, of course, but only because I do not want you to have a hard life, I want life to be good and easy and happy for you. Maybe we can a find a way to fix your hearing my sweet, but even if we cannot I will always love you and support you, I promise.” 

Over the next few weeks Mr. Alderman became extremely withdrawn from Hearthstone. Normally he was a very involved father, he would get up with Hearth at night, read to him, take him on walks to show him off, etc. Since Hearth’s diagnoses, he had barley looked at his son. 

One week after Hearthstone’s diagnoses, Mr. Alderman approached Greta, in the kitchen, where she was playing with Hearth, holding him up over her head and blowing raspberries on his stomach, making him screech with laughter, her favoriet sound in the nine worlds. 

“Leave the child with the maid tonight Greta, we need to try for another child.” Mr. Alderman promptly informed his wife, with no hesitation. 

Greta turned to look at her husband, her jaw slack and eyes wide with shock and surprise. 

“But I just gave birth four months ago, it is not safe for us to try again until Hearth is at least 18 months.” Greta said, shifting Hearth on her hip, wincing as he grabs a fistful of her hair and flails his hand around in delight. 

“Well that is not my problem, you are the one who produced a faulty child and now you must make up for it. I need a normal child, one who I can be proud of and pass my legacy on to. 

Remember what I said Greta, I can leave you and easily find another wife, who will give me normal children, do not think I will not follow through on that if you deny me what I need.” 

Greta knew he was right, he was a rich, handsome and successful man, he would have his pick of a new bride, and Hearth and Great would be left in the gutter.

“Alright, I will leave Hearthstone with Frici this evening, after dinner.” Greta quietly said, knowing she had no choice. Alderman grinned. 

“Wonderful.” 

Just 4 weeks later Greta began to feel the familiar fatigue and nausea she had felt while pregnant with Hearth. A quick trip to the health center and it was confirmed that Greta was 4 weeks pregnant. 

Alderman of course was over the moon, and while Greta was looking forward to meeting her new baby, she hated every second of pregnancy. 

Due to the very short time between Hearthstone’s birth and Greta’s second pregnancy, she suffered a variation of complications, non too serious but ones that left her feeling like she was in Hel.

If she had thought her husband was controlling during her first pregnancy, there were no words for how domineering he was during her second pregnancy, going so far as to set out a strict meal plan for her week to week, deciding what she could and could not eat, where she could and could not go, and more.

The only light in Greta's life through the pregnancy, was Hearthstone. She encouraged him to try and speak, as it would no doubt help him out in the real world.

Mr. Alderman however, was not one bit approving of this. 

Mr. Alderman first found his wife trying to encourage their son to talk, when Hearthstone was 9 months old and Greta was 4 months pregnant. 

“Hearth.” Greta softly said, holding him close so he could see the way her lips moved. “Can you say mama?” 

Little Hearth made some cooing and babbling noises that are typical of a baby. 

“Come on my love, say ‘mama’, I know you can do it.” Greta encouraged her son. 

“What are you doing?” The cold and harsh voice of her husband made Greta jump, and turn her attention from Hearth, to her husband who was standing in the doorway to the living room. “I thought I told you to rest.” 

“I am resting.” Greta replied. “I am sitting down, I am trying to teach Hearth to speak, it will help him out in the real world, he may not be able to hear us but he can learn to talk.” Mr. Alderman scoffed and rolled his eyes. 

“Do not waste your time with that mistake, no matter what you teach him he will always be a freak. Get back upstairs, leave the child with Frici, you need to focus on the new baby, and pray to Frey that this one isn’t broken too.” 

Over the next few months Greta tried to continue encouraging Hearth to speak when Mr. Alderman was not around, but it soon became apparent that Hearth simply did not speak, very likely as a response to the trauma and neglect his father inflicted on him.

When Hearthstone was 1 year and 2 months old, Greta gave birth to another baby boy. This time she had not been able to receive any pain relief and had her entire labor and birth controlled by her husband and doctors.

When her second son was born, he was not placed on her chest right away, like Hearth was, instead he was immediately whisked off for all the tests under the sun. 

Greta did not get to hold her second son until he was 2 hours old, after all his tests were complete. 

“Oh hello little one.” Greta quietly greeted her new son after he was placed in her arms. “You are so perfect, I love you.” As Greta pressed a kiss to her son’s forehead, the doors to her hospital room swung open and in walked the doctor who had delivered little Andiron. 

“Mr. Alderman, Mrs. Alderman, we have your son’s test results back.” The doctor informed them. 

“And?” Mr. Alderman demanded. 

“He passed everything perfectly, he is a very healthy and well little boy.” The doctor confirmed. 

Greta’s shoulders sagged in relief at this news. She of course would have loved Andiron no matter what, just as she loved Hearthstone no matter what, but she knew her husband would not, and feared what he would if Andiron had any health problems. 

“Wonderful! That is excellent news!” Mr. Alderman exclaimed, placing a hand on Greta’s back. 

A few moments later Mr. Alderman and the doctor both left, giving Greta the opportunity to ask a nurse to have Frici bring Hearth in to meet his little brother. 

Greta’s face lit up in delight when Hearth toddled into the room with Frici. Hearth’s face also lit up at the sight of his mother, and he quickly ran over to her. 

“Hi my baby.” Greta softly said, as Frici placed Hearth on the bed next to her. Hearth snuggled in under Greta's right arm, his head resting on her chest. Greta dropped a kiss to her eldest son’s platinum blonde hair. She really had missed him terribly. 

“Hearth, look.” Greta slowly said looking directly at her son so he could read her lips. “This is your baby brother, this is Andiron.” 

Hearth curiously peered at the bundle in his mother’s arms, and ever so slowly and gently, reached out to stroke his brother’s hair. Little Andiron blinked his eyes open and stared up at his big brother, both of them intrigued by the other. 

“What do you think, baby?” Greta softly asked Hearth. 

Hearth looked up from his brother’s face, and using the very small amount of sign language Greta had taught him recently, he signed

_Love him._

Hearth and Andiron formed a very strong bond and over the years grew up as the very best of friends. Andiron learned sign language with Hearth, and found other little ways to communicate with his brother when their father was around, and they could not use sign language. 

When Andiron joined Hearthstone at school at age 5, despite being a year younger than him, he always stuck up for his brother against bullies, making sure Hearth did not feel like an outcast or a freak.

As the years passed by, Greta began to think about leaving her husband, who is still extremely abusive to both she and Hearth. She would have to leave Alfheim altogether, perhaps start anew in Midgard, but it wouldn’t matter, as long as she and her sons were away from her monstrous husband. 

Greta was just building up the courage to start packing her and the boys' bags, when tragedy struck the family. 

At only 7 years old Andiron was struck down and killed by a brunnmigi.

The death of her youngest son sent Greta into a deep depression, meaning she was no longer able to look out for Hearth, and the little boy was left at the complete mercy of his abusive father.

Greta never had any idea just how horrendously her husband treated her son, refusing to communicate with him through sign language or lip reading, instead forcing him to write everything out on a slate tablet, as a punishment for being born'impure' and 'imperfect'. 

8 years later, Greta's depression became worse, when Hearth left home at 16, with no explanation as to why, no information on where he was going, if he would be back or how to contact him.

She had lost both her sons.

Years later, Greta was forced out of the house for the sake of appearance, by her husband. He told her to go to the gym and show her face, so that everyone would stop gossiping about her and wondering where she had been.

Of course Greta’s mind was consumed with thoughts of her sons, her life was so miserable without them, and she was constantly sick with worry about Hearth, having no idea where he was or if he was alright.

On her way home from the gym, something snapped in Greta, and she knew she could not do it anymore, she could not live such a miserable life. 

The second this thought occurred to her, she saw a truck coming down the road she was about to cross, and so without a moment’s hesitation, Greta stepped right in front of the truck, ending her misery once and for all.

Hearthstone does not learn of his mother’s death for quiet some time, but from the moment he left home, she had always occupied his thoughts. She had loved him and cared for him, she had tried to protect and shield him from his father, but in the end she simply couldn’t, but Hearth never blamed her.

Over the years he opens up about his mother, to Blitzen and Magnus in particular. They never pressure him to talk about her or how he feels about her, but when Hearth does decided to talk about her, they listen wholeheartedly.

Hearth had begun to grieve for his mother long before her death, but he never fully let himself mourn her. That is until months after learning about her death. Everything built up on Hearth, and one day while closing up Blitzen’s best with Magnus, Blitz and Samirah, he cracked. 

He had seen a scarf that looked very like one he recalled his mother wearing during his early childhood, and the very thought of her brought tears to his eyes that he could not contain. 

As Hearth stood there looking at the scarf with tears rolling down his face, he felt a hand land on his back. He turned his head and saw Samirah standing beside him, looking concerned. 

“Hey, are you okay?” She gently asked. Hearth used the ends of his scarf to dab at his tears, and he shook his head. 

“What’s wrong?” Samirah asked, her concern for her friend growing. 

_Scarf._ Hearth signed with shaky hands. _Reminds me of mom._

“Oh Hearth.” Samirah quietly said, her heart breaking for her friend. 

_Never got to say goodbye_. Hearth signed, as more tears rolled down his pale face. 

“I know.” Sam quietly said. “It’s awful, and so unfair.” 

_Father blames me for her death_. Hearth told Sam, once again wiping at his tears with his scarf. A look of horror washed over Sam’s face. 

“Oh Hearth no!” She firmly said. “No it’s not your fault, from what you tell me you were what kept your mom going when she was in an abusive relationship, she lived for you.” 

_My fault she got more depressed, should not have run away_. Hearth frantically signed, his anxiety and guilt rising. 

“No!” Sam firmly says. “It is not your fault don’t you dare say that! She was depressed because her husband was an abusive piece of shit, and she had lost Andiron, non of which was your fault. Please Hearth, don’t blame yourself, your mom would not have wanted that.” 

_How do you cope?_ Hearth asked, knowing Samirah lost her mother too. Sam shrugged. 

“I don’t, really. I know I seem okay but believe me, I still miss my mom so much it hurts. As I get older my memories of her start to fade more, if it weren’t for pictures I think I would have forgotten what she looked like, and I’m starting to forget what she sounded like. 

Most days I can push through the pain, but other days I can’t, especially on her birthday or anniversary. It helps to talk about her though, especially to people who knew her, like Jid and Bibi. 

I tell Amir about her all the time, and it helps too.” Samirah explained, her own eyes welling up at the thought of her late mother. How she wished she was still here, she could have dealt with Loki in seconds, he was infatuated with her and she knew how to take advantage of that.

_Gets easier?_ Hearth asked, hope alight in his eyes. Sam smiled and nodded, patting his arm lightly. 

“Yeah, it does.” 

Samirah was right, over the years the white hot agony of the loss of his mother, became easier for Hearth to bare. He never stopped missing her and wishing she were there, but it became easier to deal with the pain of her not being there. 

However there are extremely tough days, like Samirah said. Some of the happiest days of Hearth’s life become very bittersweet, because of the absence of his mother.

The day Blitzen proposed to Hearth was filled with both absolute joy and absolute sorrow. The day they get married simply felt incomplete without Hearth’s mother there.

And the biggest event that Greta has missed out on in her son’s life, was when Hearth became a father for the first time. 

After two years of marriage, Hearth and Blitz decided to start a family and began the process to adopt.

After a lot of paper work and a long, long wait, they finally became proud parents to a beautiful baby girl, who has lit up their world. 

Now Hearth finds himself sitting beside his husband in the living room at Chase Space, his daughter cradled in Blitz’s arms and their friends all around them, eager to meet the new family member. 

“She’s _so_ cute! What are you going to name her?” Alex eagerly asks. 

Hearth smiles at his friends and leans in to stroke his daughter’s soft little cheek. He shares a proud grin with Blitzen. 

“You tell them Hearth.” Blitz encourages, seeing as Hearth was the one to suggest the baby’s name. 

Hearthstone smiles proudly, before signing. 

_G-r-e-t-a. Her name is G-r-e-t-a I-n-g-e A-l-d-e-r-m-a-n._

Greta Inge Alderman.


End file.
